Cellular mobile operators are using more frequency bands, and increasingly more spectrum within each frequency band, to accommodate increased subscriber traffic and to deploy new radio access technologies. Based on network coverage requirements, to provide the required radio signal throughout a defined area, operators may need to configure a base station antenna to face a specific direction relative to true north (“azimuth angle”), to be inclined at a specific downward angle with respect to the horizontal in the plane of the azimuth (“elevation angle”), and to be vertically aligned with respect to the horizontal (“skew angle”). Together the azimuth, elevation and skew angles determine a “pointing direction” for the antenna. An antenna's azimuth, elevation and/or skew angles may change over time because of factors including, but not limited to, weather conditions, corrosion, poor initial installation, vibration, earthquakes, thermal effects, and the like. Undesired changes in any of these three angles may negatively affect the coverage of the antenna. For example, an error in the azimuth angle or the elevation angle of an antenna by as little as a few degrees can send radiated energy into a neighboring sector, decrease the level of service that an operator is able to provide, and/or may leave a gap in antenna coverage.
In an effort to monitor and potentially remedy such undesirable changes in the pointing direction of an antenna, antennas may include a monitoring system that has one or more sensors that monitor antenna parameters such as the above discussed azimuth, tilt and/or skew angles.